Kemal Harris: how I created Claire Underwood's power wardrobe in 'House of Cards'

Cult TV show House of Cards is back – and with it a cold, calculated and meticulous Claire Underwood. Costume designer Kemal Harris tells us how her wardrobe is as razor sharp as her personality – and why it’s inspiring women off screen too…

There are a host of reasons Claire Underwood’s character on House of Cards has become so iconic: her resoundingly anti-feminine commitment to Washington’s dirty politics, her cut-throat comments (think: “I am willing to let your child wither and die inside you, if that’s what it takes”) and, undeniably, the fact her immaculate wardrobe generates palpable envy.

Featuring slick tailoring and a palette that rarely veers from grey, navy or black, the First Lady’s wardrobe has become a sounding board for working women starved of sartorial inspiration for their 9am-to-9pm routine. And fans are in luck, because Claire’s character, played by actress Robin Wright, is crucial to the new season, which hit Netflix last week.

“There was a lot of drama at the end of season three because Claire essentially walks out on Frank,” says Kemal Harris, the costume director responsible for creating Underwood’s look. “Everybody was left wondering what would happen next. Is she still the First Lady? Is she still in the White House? Claire is really front-and-centre in season four.”

And that means a newly stocked wardrobe. Wright invited Harris, her personal stylist, to design her on-screen character’s costumes last season. Together, they’ve taken care to reflect Claire’s new status in what she wears.

Out of the White House and taking an independent turn, Claire’s character goes back to her roots, literally and metaphorically. With her marriage to Francis hanging by a thread, the First Lady leaves Washington for her wealthy family home in Dallas. As she strips down to get at what Harris dubs “the raw, real Claire”, her outfits riff off a muted colour scheme of nude, beige and cream. The contrasting piping on many of her blazer lapels might seem like a linear flourish, but is, in fact, Harris’s design interpretation of Claire drawing a line in the sand and defining her boundaries to Francis.

Robin Wright at First Lady Claire UnderwoodCredit:
Netflix

Harris looked to Lee Miller, the esteemed war photographer, for inspiration. The quiet confidence and independent spirit of Miller, who had been a muse to Man Ray and part of the Surrealist community in the Thirties, chimed with Claire’s own self-reliance.

Obsessing over this minutiae is what sets Underwood’s costumes apart from the other working women on screen. “I really nerd out over it,” says Harris, who based her initial costume choices on gut reaction. “I take a quiet moment to read the script, and feed off the emotion I get from Claire’s character.” If an image presents itself, Harris will sketch and design a piece to get the exact fabric, cut and colour.

Wright, too, is hands-on. Her role as director of certain episodes means she knows exactly how the light or angle will accentuate her character’s tailoring. For Harris, she can only wish for “more shots of Claire walking down the hallway”, to show off the hours of painstaking pinning and tucking done sometimes just a day before filming.

At ease in her on-stage persona in season fourCredit:
Netflix

Of Claire’s wardrobe, a third is custom-made, a third comes courtesy of designers and the remaining is bought from high-end department stores, such as Barneys and Bergdorf Goodman. Absolutely everything is tailored to Wright’s frame on a mannequin built to her exact proportions. “I would tailor the shoes if I could!” says Harris.

While Harris has no trouble securing high-end brands for the show, she can also be credited for introducing smaller labels to the House of Cards audience. In the series, New York designers favoured by Michelle Obama such as Derek Lam and Joseph Altuzarra sit alongside Dolce & Gabbana, Dior, Armani and Ralph Lauren, who created one of Claire’s most talked-about dresses from the last season: the silver gown she wore when hosting the state dinner for the Russian president.

The Ralph Lauren gown from season threeCredit:
Rex

A standout piece from the new season is an archive ivory Ralph Lauren dress with pleat detail around the neckline and full skirt. In episode two, when Claire has to decide between that and a black version for the State of the Union speech, her mother offers some parental advice: “Don’t wear ivory, even with your figure – it will accentuate all the wrong places.” Of course, Claire wears the ivory.

Claire at the State of the Unions speechCredit:
Netflix

Harris credits the ease with which Wright looks so alluringly immaculate as the reason behind the pin-up status of her character’s power wardrobe. “For the average working woman, it is really hard to feel put-together at all times of the day. Everyone is pulled in so many directions, but Claire makes this look so easy,” explains Harris. “What works for Claire is that she knows what makes her feel powerful: a pencil skirt, heels, blazer and a blouse.”

With her game face on in season fourCredit:
Netflix

So what lessons can women take from Claire Underwood’s style? “Find out what makes you feel strong and adapt it to your environment,” says Harris. “This might be a pair of well-cut trousers and a polo neck, but you can buy the best cashmere polo neck you can afford. By accepting that what you feel strong in is your brand, you won’t be another cookie-cutter person in a suit at work.”

Poised and ready for action in season 4Credit:
Netflix

Would Claire ever dress to please Frank? “I don’t think anyone can tell Claire to do or change anything,” says Harris. There was, however, a moment in the previous series when Underwood changed her hair back to blonde, after having it dyed chocolate brown, when a poll suggested that voters prefered her with honey-coloured locks. In the end, her ruthless dedication to winning will always triumph. So perhaps, the ultimate lesson from Claire’s power-wardrobe is that old adage: dress for the job you want – not the job you’ve got. And wear Ralph Lauren to get it.